Previewed here last November during the launch of the Maxus MIFA 9, the first examples of the Maxus T90 EV are now up and about on Malaysian roads. However, you can’t get your hands on the fully-electric pick-up truck as yet, because it hasn’t officially gone on sale.
The first examples are actually part of Tenaga Nasional‘s electrified vehicle fleet, having been brought in by Weststar Maxus for a pilot project being carried out by the national utility company, and are likely set to be field operation units.
We got wind that the units were already in the country sometime in the middle of last year, but wasn’t able to report on it. Incidentally, the number of T90s being utilised by Tenaga hasn’t been disclosed, but at least 25 units can be spotted in one of the images.
As to when the electric pick-up will be available commercially, we were told by a source that a launch date has yet to be confirmed. At the MIFA 9 debut, it was mentioned that an official introduction was expected before then end of 2023 or in the first quarter of this year, so its market debut could be soon.
There’s still no indication of official pricing, but early estimates have indicated that it is expected to retail for between RM220k and RM260k. As for variants, we do know that only one will be offered here, with specifications that are close to Australia (where it is known as the LDV eT60) and the United Kingdom.
Design-wise, the T90 EV appears similar to the regular diesel-powered T90, which is SAIC Maxus’ flagship pick-up truck. Measuring in at 5,365 mm long, 1,900 mm wide, 1,809 mm tall and with a wheelbase that spans 3,155 mm, the 3,300 kg offering is sized similarly to regular ICE pick-ups.
The T90 EV is powered by a rear-mounted electric motor offering 174 hp (177 PS, or 130 kW) and 310 Nm in the way of output, and this is good to get it to a maximum speed of 120 km/h. A lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery with an energy capacity of 88.55 kWh provides the T90 EV with a combined WLTP-rated range of 330 km.
For charging, the pick-up supports a max AC input of 11 kW, with a 5-100% state of charge (SOC) reached in nine hours with three-phase or 13 hours on single-phase. There’s also DC fast charging at a peak of 80 kW, which allows the battery to be juiced from 20-80% SOC in around 45 minutes.
Exterior specs include halogen headlamps, LED taillights, rear fog lamps and 17-inch alloy wheels, while the interior features a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a multi-info screen set in between digital meters in the instrument cluster and a rotary gear selector.
Also to be found is faux leather set upholstery, manual air-conditioning (with pollen filter), a conventional handbrake, selectable drive modes (Power and Eco), a 220-volt/150-watt AC three-pin power plug.
In terms of safety and driving assistance bits, the kitbag includes a reverse camera, six airbags, rear parking sensors, ESP, traction control, vehicle dynamics control, electronic brake assist, hill descent control and hill start assist. We’ll have the complete lowdown on the Maxus T90’s specs when it’s finally introduced here.
GALLERY: Maxus T90 EV all-electric pick-up, Malaysian preview
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